Yay campers! is the first thought that comes to mind after watching the first trailer released to show off the upcoming DLC map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops. The map pack is titled Escalation and will feature four new multiplayer maps with one zombie map titled Call of the Dead. The zombie map did not see any video time however so if you were here for zombies then you are out of luck.
In the video we see the Hotel, Convoy, Zoo and Stockpile map shown off and detailed by the developers at Treyarch. The Zoo map is unfortunately in a completely derelict zoo so there aren’t any animals around to spice things up, of course there is a monorail you can walk across and be shot immediately. Catch the trailer after the break and the map pack itself when it releases on May 3rd for 1200 MSP. The map pack is a timed exclusive by Microsoft so don’t expect a PS3 or PC release until at least a month from now.
It seems that the final nail in the PSP Go’s coffin has been nailed in today. Andriasang has translated a post at a Japanese tech website and has found that PSP Go production has been stopped. You can find the (badly translated by google) website here. The problem is that there have been a number of instances that have shown that the PSP Go will be ending soon, including Amazon‘s listing for the PSP Go saying that the handheld has been discontinued by the manufacturer.
The PSP Go has struggled to see mainstream acceptance ever since it was first released. The reliance on purely digital downloads of games with no physical support seems to have been the downfall of the handheld. Sony has yet to say whether or not this is true but chances are that it will end up being so. Either way we have contacted Sony in an effort to shine some light on the subject.
In case you were growing a bit tired with your Kinect Sports activities you will soon be able to download a whole new addition of content that will not only provide new game modes but also new things for you to compete against. Titled the Kinect Sports: Calorie Challenge the add-on will be released on April 29th and will cost 320 Microsoft Points. Along with the new additions to the game there will be 250 more achievements added and 2 avatar awards.
The Calorie Challenge Mode will keep track of how many calorie’s you burn supposedly and how long you’ve worked out for. A variety of new foods will show up in the game as mascots to represent each goal you will have to work towards to burn off. For example the Peppy Pizza will take 302 calories while the Blazing Banana only takes 92 calories. Seems interesting at least.
Square Enix had previously announced that people will be able to buy a special edition of Deux Ex that they were calling the Augmented Edition. But now they have announced the existence of a new edition of Deus Ex though this one has the standard name of being a Collector’s Edition. This Collector’s Edition will only be available to select European countries, Australia and New Zealand however so anyone in the US is out of luck.
The Collector’s Edition will contain much of what was already announced to be releasing with the Augmented Edition you will be receiving a DVD with 44 minutes of making of footage, a stop motion comic and an animated storyboard. Alongside that is a 40 page art book and all of the DLC that you could receive from pre-ordering the title anywhere. This includes the Explosive Mission Pack, Automatic Unlocking Device, M-28 Utility Remote-Detonated Explosive Device (UR-DED), Linebacker G-87 multiple shot grenade launcher, Huntsman Silverback Double-Barrel Shotgun and SERSR Longsword Whisperhead silenced sniper rifle. Also you will receive 10,000 in-game credits to buy or upgrade your weapons.
Now the interesting addition to this edition is the Adam Jensen action figure which certainly would be a nice addition to anyone’s shelf. The current listing for this Collector’s Edition is at 100 Euros, placing it 30 Euros above the price tag of the Augmented Edition.
With just a couple of days to go before the release of Mortal Kombat on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in the UK, we thought it was only right to remind you of the game’s 21st April release date in the UK, disclosing a few more details about what you can expect if you do pick it up, courtesy of publishers Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
“All of us at NetherRealm studios could not be more excited that players can finally get their hands on our all new Mortal Kombat game,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. “Our goal was to deliver the Mortal Kombat game that the fans have been demanding and feel we’ve delivered that and then some!”
The game has a number of new modes and the story will incorporate elements of older games in a re-imagination of the original story. There will also be platform-specific features like PlayStation 3 owners being able to take on the powerful role of Kratos from the God of War series.
In the all-new King of the Hill mode players the chance to actively cheer on their character in the theatre, with those with the Xbox 360 version able to use their own Xbox LIVE Avatar to represent them as they cheer, throw tomatoes, and boo the fighters competing. PlayStation 3 gamers will be able to choose their favourite Mortal Kombat avatars to represent them in the theatre.
Will anyone be picking this up on launch day in the UK? Or if you live in the US, have you picked it up already?
Today Ubisoft announced that they would be doing a crossover between two of their most popular series with some new downloadable content for Just Dance 2. Instead of the usual standard tracks though, the Rabbids will be heading an invasion on the popular Wii dance title. The reasoning behind this odd combination is that 2011 marks the 5th year since the Rabbids launched as a franchise and of course went on to make quite a franchise for themselves with many popular follow-ups and sequels, so now it is time for the lovable white mascots to party and dance the night away.
A trailer was also released for this new Just Dance 2 DLC which shows a Rabbid slowly jamming out and approaching a television with another Rabbid acting as the in-game sprite for the dancer on the game. It really isn’t clear on just what kind of DLC this will be at the moment though as it could just be the Rabbid model replacing the dancer or simply music from the Rabbids’ series being used. Thankfully, it won’t be too long wait to find out though, as this update will be available for download as of tomorrow for any Wii owner with a copy of Just Dance 2. Check out the trailer for yourself below and we will update you once more is revealed on just what the actual content will being in this Rabbid-filled download.
With last week’s official launch of the Global Link, the competitive spirit is in the air yet again for Pokémon fans everywhere and now those worthy will be able to put their star players to good use with the upcoming 2011 Pokémon Video Game Championships. The Pokémon Company International released some new details for the events which will be hitting Europe and the U.S. starting in May and wrapping up this August.
Here is a complete rundown on what you need to know if you are an interested trainer wanting to participate:
The 2011 Pokémon Video Game National Championships kicks off in Europe on June 4 in Birmingham, UK before heading to Italy for the first time ever, Spain, France and finally Germany. The top eight finalists in each division from each of the five European locations will earn guaranteed competitor slots at the 2011 Pokémon World Championships. In addition to invitations to the World Championships in San Diego, top finishers in Europe and in the U.S. will receive travel allowances, special medals and Pokémon prizes.
The 2011 Pokémon Video Game Championship Series kicks off in the U.S. on May 14th in Seattle, Washington, before making five more stops in major cities across the country. At each location, the top 16 players from each division will earn invitations to compete at the 2011 Pokémon U.S. National Championships July 8th-10th in Indianapolis, Indiana. Players at the National Championships will battle to secure a top eight finish over the weekend, and in return, receive a guaranteed competitor slot at the 2011 Pokémon World Championships.
“We’re looking forward to a fun, competitive Pokémon Video Game Championships Series this year,” said J.C. Smith, director of Consumer Marketing for The Pokémon Company International. “The excitement generated from the recent launch of the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games will make for a memorable and intriguing tournament season.”
For Europe, 2011 brings an increase in the overall number of competitor slots, along with a new age division and revised age brackets. The divisions now separate into three age categories: Junior (players born in 2000 or later), Senior (players born in 1996, 1997, 1998, or 1999), and Masters (players born in 1995 or earlier). Competitor slots have been increased this year to 256 for the Junior division, 256 for the Senior division, and 512 for the Masters division. All are based on a first come, first served basis. Players competing in Europe will need to play the European versions of Pokémon Black Version or Pokémon White Version video games, and can only use Pokémon from the Unova Pokédex to battle (from No. 001–148, and No.151).
Official Dates are as follows:
Europe
June 4th, Birmingham, United Kingdom— National Exhibition Centre, Hall 8
June 11th, Rome, Italy— Fiera Roma, Hall 12, Ingresso Nord
June 18th, Madrid, Spain— IFEMA, Hall 1, Feria de Madrid
June 25th, Paris, France— Espace Grande Arche, Parvis de La Défense
July 2nd , Cologne, Germany— EXPO XXI Köln GmbH, Gladbacher Wall 5
U.S.A.
May 14th, Seattle, WA— Washington State Convention Center, Hall 4B
May 21st, San Jose, CA — San Jose Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 2
May 28th, Dallas, TX— Arlington Convention Center, Grand Hall
June 4th, Atlanta, GA— Gwinnett Center, Hall A and B
June 11th, Washington, D.C.— Dulles Expo Center, South Hall
June 18th, Newark, NJ— Meadowlands Exposition Center
The official Championships will wrap up in San Diego, CA from August 12th-14th.
After all these years, it is great to see the Championships still running and if any Pokémon players out there are reading this, now is your chance to test your training skills and get in on some of the awesome prizes while your at it. For more information about the 2011 Pokémon Video Game Championships, check out the official site at www.pokemon.co.uk.
Developer: Futurlab
Publisher: EA
Platform: iPhone/iPod Touch
Genre: Puzzle
Release: 14th April 2011
Price: 99 cents US (BUY NOW)
Spring has just arrived here in the northern hemisphere which means the snow is melting and the temperature is rising. Then right before you know it Summer will be here which means everyone will want to head to the beach and have a good time. There are many dangers though you should be aware of and I’m not talking just about sunburns, shark attacks, and accidentely going to the nudie beach and seeing someone’s grandmother rocking out in her birthday suit. Oh the horror! However the most dangerous thing to look out for is coconuts, thats right coconuts while they may have delicious milk inside they will fall and crack you in the noggin.
Coconut Dodge for the iPhone puts you in a situation where your fighting for your life against some very evil coconuts who are out to kill you. While this game might seem quite simple and for some there is fun to be had however I believe its a training exercise in self defense. Is this game any good or is it just a wash? Find out in this review.
Story
The game takes place on a nice and sunny beach and your just a crab who seems to be minding his own business and coconuts just fall from the sky and you got to dodge them to save your life. So there really isn’t a story to speak of, which means if you want to know why all these coconuts want to crush our friendly crustacean then it would be up to you to make up your own story. I believe the crab’s name is Robert and after a horrific accident they had to replace his legs with bionic ones and he has to travel back in time to fight the evil coconut army and raise enough money to pay for his mother’s surgery for her life threatening illness by picking up random gold pieces and diamonds people drop. I hope if EA makes a sequel that they take this idea and make Coconut Dodge 2: Revenge of Robert. EA your welcome.
Graphics
If you love the beach and anything to do with it you will love the look of Coconut Dodge. The animation for the crab is really nice also the coconuts and collectible objects in the game look really cartoony and bright. One of the nicest things about looking at Coconut Dodge is the beach background that you play on is very dynamic and not some cheap static background slapped on. You can see a shark fin out in the ocean, clouds breezing by, and the ocean sparkling to name a few. For what it is Coconut Dodge looks great my only gripe is that there isn’t more backdrops to play on. Robert… I mean the crab can’t go on the boardwalk, or fight for his life in the kitchen, or even a different looking beach would have been nice. Games like Angry Birds had different backdrops as well as different characters to play as that added variety and keeps your interest. Coconut Dodge looks nice but you may get tired of looking at the same old background and same old objects over and over again.
Audio
Coconut Dodge in the audio department is kind of a mixed bag. As far as audio goes the sound effects in this game fit really well with the cartoon aesthetic but arn’t anything that amazing. Some of the better sound effects come from when you bust a beach ball and you hear the pop and then it makes a sparkle sound when you get points for it or when your crab gets hit in the head by the coconut you hear it crack and what sounds like a studio audience sigh in disappointment as if to say its your fault for hurting this poor animal. Most of these are in place just to make sure you know your grabbing the goodies and let you know when you make a bad move. What is really depressing is that there is only one song and it loops over and over again. The main menu though has a different song but thats the only time you get to hear it. I know this is a game that is only a dollar but even a couple of extra ones would have been nice. The song you hear isn’t bad it just gets tiresome, but there is always the volume button to turn it down if you get tired of it.
Gameplay
All is not lost for this game as the gameplay is its saving grace. You basically dodge coconuts that try to kill you while collecting anything valuable such as gold blocks, diamonds, and golden anchors to get points. Gaining more points is easy as you can bounce some beach balls and even get a viking helmet and get back at your evil coconut oppressors all the while gaining points. In Coconut Dodge you advance into various stages the further you go the more challenging it becomes. This can be the most addicting part to the game. These coconuts don’t just always randomly fall no they sometimes form maze like walls where you have to quickly weave in and out of harms way. Also the game has no problem with throwing the more tempting higher point value items in more dangerous spots in an attempt to lead you way from any safe patterns you devise.
All that shimmers on the beach isn’t gold though as if you lose all three of your lives you have to start all over and if you have nothing but spare time at home then its not a big deal however if your killing time on lunch or taking a ride to work you don’t want to have to go all the way though that again. It could have been split up in a separate mode for those who are hardcore about it but for the rest who rather not deal with doing that through out the many stages which kills any motivation to try to complete the game. Also there is some extra modes for you to play however I was unable to unlock any of the others and I’m not for sure how to do it. The game makes no mention on how to unlock them so I don’t know if I need a certain score or even a certain stage. There is one extra mode ready at the get go and that is Maze Master, in this mode you are trying to get as many points as possible before you make it to the end of the maze. Its basically a quick fix if you don’t want to hop into the main game. Now I know I have sounded really hard on the game but there is good in it however be warned it can be addicting to some or really repetitive for others.
Conclusion
Coconut Dodge is a fun and simple little game that is good to play on the go. The enjoyment you can get out of the game may vary. It just needs a little bit more to keep the attention of some because it lacks variety in most of the important areas. If Coconut Dodge just added a little more to the settings and made it easier for those short burst of gameplay then it would be a hit. I still recommend that everyone at least play this game and 99 cents isn’t that much and its worth it whether you play this for 30 min or you play it for the next few weeks.
I honestly don’t know why I am reminding any of you that Mortal Kombat is now available as of today (April 19th) in the states as I am sure many know by now, but just in case, this reminder cannot be pressed enough for those of you holding out on one of the best titles in the series to come along in many years. I attended the standard midnight event in my small town and ever since I hit the door home I have been knee deep in the game and I am really surprised of just how much “kontent” that is packed on the disc.
For long-time MK fans, the story is a true blast of fan service and should take many of you straight into the mythology that makes the series special. Of course the fatalities are awesome as well, even though I have been getting more used on myself than what I am actually using on my opponents. A jam packed roster and the stunning new X-ray moves as well as the King of the Hill online mode also add to the incentive of a purchase, so get out there if you are a fan and support this title all the way and even if you are new to the series by chance, this reboot of the series is a fine place to start as the simple control scheme makes it easy to pick up and play. Our review for Mortal Kombat is coming soon in which we will elaborate a lot more on everything in the game, so stay tuned for that.
I do want to say with all my excitement I should all now offer a bit of condolences to our Australian fans as they have been prohibited from even importing Mortal Kombat due to the completely ludicrous rating system in place that has banned the game from hitting shelves. Our petition is still available for signing and you voice can still be heard, no matter what country you live in. You can add you signature to the petition HERE.
Pilotwings Resort Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo Price: $63AU (Fishpond) / $40 US (Amazon) Genre: Sports/Simulation
Overview
Pilotwings resort is a game that allows players to fly across an island, completing challenges and taking in a fair few amazing sights, all rendered in immersive 3D utilising the 3DS’ 3D capabilities.
Story
Pilotwings Resort takes place on Wahu island where players are tasked with completing various challenges across the resort island in pursuit of entertainment. Or at least, that’s what I would peg the storyline as, considering the game doesn’t actually have a storyline at all. Though, it isn’t the kind of game to require one. I feel as though it’s the kind of game where you make your own story as you’re gliding along and taking photos of the scenery.
“Hey there [playername], what’re you playing?”
“Oh Scarlette, it’s you. I’m playing Pilotwings Resort.”
“Sounds boring.”
“See that volcano there?”
“No not really…”
“I once flew a jet plane down it and into the lava.”
“I don’t think we should be friends any more.”
Gameplay
The gameplay in pilotwings resort is basic in its scheme, but also hard to master. You slide the circlepad to steer/veer and you use the corresponding buttons to do whatever is needed for that vehicle. For instance, an aeroplane will go forwards automatically, but by hitting A you can utilise the boost function.
When beginning a game in Pilotwings resort, you will be presented with a file select screen. Here you select an empty file and go on to be greeted to the resort by an administraotr at the ‘Wuhu Sky Club’. After being greeted, a player will select their Mii that will be their playable avatar, as well in put a signature for file associative purposes. A lot of this is done on the touch screen, which is a nice inclusion considering that this is one of the few titles to have touch-screen support at the moment.
All the game menu’s are accessed using the touch-screen and from the get-go you will have access to all game modes with the exception of ‘Dioramas”. Dioramas is unlocked as you go through the games “Mission Mode”. All up, the modes are: “Mission Mode”, “Free Flight Mode”, “Dioramas”, “Options” and “Member Card”.
The Member Card mode allows you to view your files membership card to Wuhu island. It keeps track of your Mii and other kinds of play data, such as flight time, stars awarded and your total points. Other than for the purposes of admiring your own work, or bragging to friends, I don’t really see much use for this feature. Though it is definitely something that I enjoy poking at from time to time, so it shouldn’t be removed or anything.
Options mode is your standard games option feature allows you to mess with the games audio as well as other options, such as inverted flight controls, rocket pack camera and the in-game map.
Floating through the air on a hang glider.
Dioramas in Diorama mode are unlocked through completing certain objectives in the free-flight mode of the game. These involve going through information rings, completing trick rings and the like.
Free Flight mode is a mode that allows you to fly freely over the island for a limited time. And by limited, I mean very limited as you only get two minutes to fly around the island and take in the sights. The main appeal of free flight mode is that it allows you to unlock dioramas in the diorama mode. Across the island are various points of interest that will have an information ring above them. There are also trick rings, which involve you completing a trick inside them in order to collect them. Both types of rings accumulate over each play through, so it isn’t necessary to collect them all once, which is a relief because at two minutes of flight time, it’d be quite difficult to accomplish.
Mission mode is the bulk of the game. This is where you have differing tiers of difficulty and you must advance from the lower tiers to gain access to the higher ones. Each tier has it’s own challenges for each vehicle type, so plane, rocket belt and hanglider. The challenges can vary from incredibly easy to as tough as nails. I mainly found this to be the case with the rocket belt as it’s physics seemed to be slighty wrong. It felt a bit too floaty, like, there was too much inertia and not enough friction, you would just float outwards and it always seemed to be a bit further than you intended… expecially when you were using the lighter thruster. The missions generally involve flying through rings (or do tricks through), collecting capsules and landing successfully on a landing platform or in a landing strip. With the rocket belt, there are also refuelling platforms in some of the challenges.
At the end of a challenge, players are rewarded with a score and are presented with stars depending on how well they completed the challenge. The stars are used in unlocking the next difficulty tier and the score is a measure of how many stars you will attain (you can check the score requirements in the mission menu). Though, for some reason, I’ve found that when I’ve done worse at the challenge I seem to get a better score then when I try to complete them properly. I think that time plays a fairly large role in the final score of some events. When I say that I did worse, I mean that I forgot a ring somewhere, not that I did abysmally, so maybe there was some kind of trade-off that worked in my favour?
Graphics
Pilotwings Resort boasts incredible graphics.
The visual style is very similar to Mii related games that Nintendo has released in the past on it’s other consoles (mainly the Wii), games such as Wii Sports Resort. This simplistic style allows for more colourful and clearer renderings of the Mii characters, as well as the island and the vehicles.
Graphically Pilotwings Resort is superior to all 3DS games on the market at the time of writing and it is also the most colourful. It’s hard to put into words how impressed I was with the game graphically; I hope that Nintendo continues to release games of this fidelity or higher in the future as it is just so pleasant on the eyes that it’s really hard to fault.
Do the pretty.
Though, there was one thing I was disappointed with slightly and that was the inclusion of Mii’s. I understand why they’re in the game, and of course it’s easier to connect with ones own Mii than it is to a whole new character, but as someone who has played the previous Pilotwings games, not having those previous characters feels a little strange. Though, it has no bearing on gameplay, it just would have been nice to see past characters rendered in this new graphical foundation.
Visually I am quite impressed by this title. I only wish that free-flight mode was longer than two minutes in length so that I could explore the island properly and take in all the pretty sights. For some reason, whenever I do a mission, I always try to complete the mission… but I could probably do it in one of those. The only thing that I can really fault graphically is the 3D. I’m not sure if it’s my eyes or the 3D rendering of the game, but at 100% 3D it was too difficult to create a fully 3D image, it would just become two slightly different images. Though any percentage below that worked fine.
Sound
Pilotwings resort is more relaxation than menace, and it shows in the games soundtrack and audio.
The soundtrack / background music is not of a pacing that I would ever have considered myself to be into, but when coupled with the gameplay, it fits so perfectly that you can’t help but sit back and feel relaxed while enjoying the sounds projecting from your devices speakers. The background ambiance of birds chirping and waves crashing against the island only continue to add to the superb background score and help shape the feel of the island in the players mind.
The game sounds prettier than this scene looks. Which is incredibly hard to do.
Each vehicle has their own sounds which makes them even more unique. This is even true for the jet plane and the sea plane. The sounds are so fitting that I felt that I could actually maybe be piloting one of these vehicles myself, sometimes. However, the rocket belt is horrible and regardless of how well it sounded, in my personal opinion, it should have its physics reworked (it’s really not that bad, I just can’t get used to it… it’s more a case of the gamer than the game).
In summary; sounds = awesome.
Overall
Pilotwings Resort is an awesome title for an awesome device. It allows players to become a pilot of various flying devices and to complete a vast array of fun and challenging challenges around the Island of Wahu. The game is graphically solid and hard to fault. It also features a beautiful audio track that helps to immerse and also relax players (especially on those later challenges which can be a pain).
